Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin (right) shined during the first round playoff series
against the San Jose Sharks, much to the surprise of many fans.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — With all the talk over the past couple of days about a true rivalry that will be established between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, now that the two teams are finally meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the anticipation going into the series is palpable.

But beyond the hype, the game is played on the ice, and one team must win four games to advance to the conference finals.

For the Kings to accomplish that goal, they must clamp down defensively on the team that led the National Hockey League offensively during the regular season, averaging 3.21 goals per game, compared to the Kings’ 2.42 goals per game (ranked 26th in the league).

LOS ANGELES — On January 24, the eve of the 2014 Stadium Series: Los Angeles, both the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks skated on Dodger Stadium ice for the first time, with the home team getting the first practice time at 4:00 PM.

It was a typical practice for the Kings, in terms of them doing line rushes, and a few drills. But that is where the similarities with any part of their normal routine ended, as they were obviously skating under a darkening sky, with the San Gabriel Mountains off in the distance, and Palm trees close by.

Former Los Angeles Kings left wing Dustin Penner signed a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks on July 16, 2013.
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

LOS ANGELES — On July 16, veteran left wing Dustin Penner took his career full circle, returning to where his National Hockey League career began, and to where he won his first Stanley Cup in 2007, signing a one-year contract worth $2 million with the Anaheim Ducks.

That Penner would leave the Los Angeles Kings after a little more than two seasons should not come as a surprise. As previously reported in this space, the $6 million drop in the salary cap for the 2013-14 season has severely hamstrung the Kings. The only way they could have signed Penner was if he was willing to accept a very deep pay cut, deeper than the $1.25 million cut he took to sign with the Ducks.

Despite that, Penner indicated that leaving the Kings was not an easy decision.

ANAHEIM, CA — Corey Perry scored a breakaway goal and another in the shootout to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings in front of a standing-room only crowd of 18,494 fans at Honda Center in Anaheim on April 7.

Ducks forwards Kyle Palmieri opened the scoring at 2:54 of the first period after Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr was unable to clear the zone along the left wing boards. Ducks forward Matt Beleskey got the puck to Palmieri, who skated past Kings left wing Jordan Nolan, who got caught flat-footed. Palmieri went in alone on Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who made the initial save. But the puck hit Palmieri’s skate, and bounced into the net.

The Ducks were the better team, and by a large margin, in the first period and much of the second. Although things evened out in the third, the Kings played poorly enough that the argument could be made that they stole two points in the standings in this one. Read more of this post

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